Yakunan found himself beginning to hyperventilate. He collapsed onto his knees, his breathing becoming more and more frantic as the seconds passed on. "I-I can't lose you… Not again, Xenudah..." He was so scared. So very scared. It seemed like every time he looked at his child or heard the sound of his voice, his heart would stop in panic. All he could think about when that happens was the possibility of leaving his child again. What if something were to happen to him?

"Father, please you have to calm down… You're worrying me...!"

He felt his son try to grab onto his hands, but Yakunan slapped them away without a single thought. His breathing had gotten way too erratic; it sounded painful as he continued to gasp for air while rocking. Tears were forming in his eyes. The image of Xenudah getting taken from him all those years ago was too much for him to endure. He knew his son would be fine, that he was capable and strong, but seeing him go through life without knowing he was safe was the last thing he could ever imagine happening to him.

He never wanted to have to experience that pain again.

He tried his hardest to calm himself down, his chest rising and plunging as he struggled to breathe properly. He couldn't tell if his hyperventilation was because of the fear that was overwhelming him or if there was some kind of other problem. But right now, he didn't care. As long as he kept breathing, then everything else was minor details. He took another deep breath before releasing it, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Xenu… I just want you to be happy..."

Xenudah's arms wrapped tightly around his father's neck, pulling his head into his chest. The two of them remained quiet for a few moments before Yakunan pulled back and gently caressed his son's cheek with his thumb. He wiped the tears away as best as he could before speaking once again.

"I love you, son...no matter what...never forget that…"

His heart broke at the sight of Xenudah nodding his head slowly, a small smile gracing his lips before the two of them embraced each other for another round of comforting hugs.

"I love you, you know that, right? No matter what happens, I'll always love you... Even if we have our differences, I'll never give up on you..." His grip tightened momentarily, his eyes filled with tears once more. "Don't make me watch you die… Please…"

"Father...please stop crying… You're going to break my heart..." Xenudah whispered, clinging to his father.

"I-I can't help it…" Yakunan shook his head in despair. "I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you… I just can't lose you again..."

They stayed silent for a few minutes until Xenudah finally spoke again. "You won't leave me alone, will you?"

His words hit hard. He didn't know how he could answer that question without breaking down completely. There was no way he could even begin to imagine leaving his son's side. Even when they fought, he wouldn't give up on him. Not anymore.

Not after everything.

Not after what he's been through.

Not after everything he went through to get to this point.

"No…" Yakunan replied, squeezing Xenudah tighter than he already was. "I'll never let anyone take you away from me… Never again…"

Xenudah nodded his head slightly at the response, not sure how to handle such emotional displays from his dad. If it was any other situation, he would have been happy and proud, but right now, he just wanted his father to stay here by his side forever. They both knew the dangers surrounding being out in the world after dark. With every passing hour, they grew closer and closer to being discovered.

The fact that his father hadn't been taken yet made Xenudah more concerned than he already was. It didn't help that he also knew Yakunan was of dragon descent. He could die at any moment, and the thought filled Xenudah with dread.

Xenudah felt the tightness in his father's grip lessen as he began to sob once more. "Shhhhh… It'll be okay, dad… Everything is going to be okay…" He knew better than to ask what was wrong. His father rarely cried over nothing. If it was important enough for his father to cry, it must've been important. And when his father told him something was important, then he meant it.

But still, it scared Xenudah that things like this would happen, especially if his father wasn't taking precautions against it. The last thing they needed was for someone to come along and snatch him away before his father got to say goodbye. That was never an option for them, but they did not know who exactly was out there looking for them right now.

And if something were to happen to either one of them, well, it wouldn't just hurt him, it'd be physically painful and emotionally devastating.

It was scary. Really scary.

Xenudah knew that he needed to stay strong and keep himself together, to not let his father worry anymore. To keep his composure for both their sakes, and for the sake of their relationship. But as soon as his father started to cry, the dam inside him broke and he lost control. A few tears slipped out of his eyes as he hugged his father harder, resting his head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Shhh… Dad, I've got you… I promise you..."

A few minutes passed before Yakunan lifted his head from Xenudah's shoulder to look at him. The pair of bright magenta eyes that stared back at him were filled with concern. He cupped his face with his hand and gave him a sad smile.

"How are you feeling, Xenu? Are you alright?"

Xenudah looked down at his lap, avoiding eye contact. "How can I be? I'm worried sick about you… I'm scared… I don't want anything bad to happen… I don't want us to lose each other again… I just want to protect you… I just want to keep you safe… But if something were to happen to you… I don't know what I'd do…" Xenudah's voice trembled as tears pooled in his eyes. "I just want to keep you safe, dad… I wish I could bring back everyone who was taken… I wish that I could save them all…"

Yakunan pulled him in for another hug. This time, it was tighter. "Oh, Xenudah… I'm so sorry… I know it hurts...but you're safe now…and I'm here with you… I promised you I'd always be here for you...so please...don't cry anymore. Let's stay strong together...for me, okay? Just focus on that...on keeping your strength up...and remember...you need to keep moving forward…"

"But I don't want to move forward…not right now..." Xenudah hiccupped quietly, trying his hardest to wipe away any remaining tears before they fell. "Please, just hold me…"

"Alright…" Yakunan held him tighter, letting him cry silently. He wanted to comfort him as much as possible; he hated it whenever Xenudah cried. It killed him. It made him feel like there was nothing else he could do. So all he did was tighten his embrace on his son's body, wanting him to feel safe and protected, to know he wouldn't be abandoned again. "Just…" Yakunan paused briefly, hesitating before continuing. "Just stay close to me…keep your mind focused on me… Don't let yourself think about anything else, okay? Don't let yourself think about anything except me and how much I love you. Keep that in mind, okay?"

Xenudah sniffed quietly, leaning his head into his father's chest as he listened to his father's soft breathing. His father's heartbeat was the only thing keeping him grounded was the sound of his father's voice. He couldn't bear to hear anything else.

"Dad…" Xenudah said softly, lifting his head up to look at him.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared…"

"I know, son…" Yakunan rubbed his back tenderly. "Me too…"

Xenudah let out another sob, hugging his father tighter. He didn't want his father to see him cry, but it was getting increasingly difficult.

The thought of losing his father overwhelmed him. The same thoughts haunted him in his dreams, waking him up screaming in terror, causing him to wake up shaking. All of them plagued him during sleep, plagued him in his daydreams.

But most importantly, the thought that his father might die left a deep pain inside of him he could barely handle. It was suffocating, and he couldn't breathe, he couldn't function, he couldn't do anything. It was impossible to breathe. He wanted his dad back, he wanted his dad, but at the same time, he dreaded it. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his father's lifeless body lying across from his own, blood pooling around his lifeless body… It terrified him, it frightened him so badly.

He wanted his father back, but he also feared that he was never coming back. And it terrified him.

"I just want to go home…" Xenudah cried softly, pressing himself tighter against his father.

"I know…" Yakunan sighed sadly, wrapping his arms around his son, pulling him close. "I know."

Xenudah buried his face in the crook of his father's neck, letting out another soft sob. It sounded like a sob of despair mixed with desperation. His tears were uncontrollable, as were his feelings. They threatened to overflow from him at any moment. His body shook violently with his sobs. Tears spilled down his cheeks freely.

This pain was so unbearable. It burned in his heart, tore him apart from the inside. He wished it would end, but it seemed like every time he stopped crying and allowed himself to breathe, the pain came back tenfold. His whole body ached with each sobbing breath, making his whole being feel so fragile and weak that even though he wanted to continue on, he couldn't seem to find the willpower to do so.

"Xenu… Hush now…" Yakunan cooed soothingly, running his fingers through his son's hair in hopes that the comforting touch would ease the pain in his chest. He wanted to comfort his son, but the very last thing he wanted was for him to feel pain because he was holding him tightly.

"I wish I could go back to those days where we had fun. Where everything was happy and we didn't have problems and troubles. When everything was fine…when life wasn't scary and cruel… We didn't have to fight against anyone. It was so easy back then… We were free… We were happy…" Xenudah whispered, closing his eyes tightly. He tried desperately to stop the tears and the pain but he failed every single time. He had no control over it, nor did he dare to take it back. No matter how hard he tried he just kept on falling deeper into a pit of sorrow he didn't ever want to fall into.

For years, his life had been filled with sadness, grief and hopelessness. Now, when he finally found something worth fighting for, and the moment he found his happiness, it all ended abruptly. He was so afraid of this situation, afraid he may lose what he had gotten his hands on once again, that it crushed him. And he feared the outcome even more now. He had come closer to gaining happiness again, to finding his family, to finding his freedom again, but it was ripped away in an instant.

Yakunan rubbed his son's back, kissing the top of his head gently, as he continued to brush through his shoulder-length black hair, whispering comforting words to make his son forget about his troubles for a little while and just rest.

Xenudah took in a deep breath after a minute, allowing himself to relax into Yakunan's grasp, relaxing his body, breathing in his father's comforting scent, and listening to his calming heartbeat.

"There's nothing you can do at the moment…but try your best to relax a little, okay? There's nothing to worry about… I know that whatever is going on right now isn't fair on you or anyone but it will be over soon enough… I promise you that."

"Okay…"

"You're my brave, amazing son, okay? You're strong, smart, and talented. I can tell that the moment I met you. You are so amazing, and I'm proud of you. You've grown so much since I first laid eyes on you. And that alone makes me so happy…" Yakunan pulled away just slightly, brushing down his son's flyaways. "We'll pull through… I know we will…"

As his father finished speaking, a small smile crossed Xenudah's lips. For just a brief moment…just one moment…it felt like all the darkness and stress and fear and anxiety melted away…

It made him feel so much better.